The 10th World Intersectoral Cooperation Forum (WCI Forum), which brings together business people of the African continent with Turkish manufacturers, started in Istanbul.
Speaking at the opening of the forum, which included participants from all over the continent, Gambia Information Minister Lamin Jammeh stated that the event opened a new door for exporters and said, “Industry is still the driving force of the economy. The forum offers exporters new opportunities in the field of cooperation and industry.”
Pointing out that Gambia is an economy trying to develop and there are difficulties, Jammeh stated that they want to make the necessary reforms to be competitive.
“This forum will help increase capacity and diversify exports and imports,” Jammeh said.
Mohammed Salah, Minister of Agriculture and Natural Resources of Sudan’s Darfur state, said that his country has a great agricultural potential but uses a very small part of it.
Stating that Sudan has always been seen as the “granary of the world”, Salah noted that there was a great destruction in agriculture due to the war.
PRODUCTS AND SERVICES WILL BE INTRODUCED FOR 2 DAYS IN THE FORUM
Malian businessman Mody Kolly Kouma, one of the participants of the forum, said in his statement that he is engaged in trade and sells the products he buys from abroad in his country.
Kouma said, “I came here thanks to my friends in Mali. They buy directly from the factories here. I also came to research medical devices.”
Gambian businessman Ebrima Jatta also drew attention to the quality of Turkish products and asked Turkish investors to come to his country.
Stating that they encourage Turkish business people to produce in Gambia, Jatta stated that they can easily sell their products to neighboring countries thanks to the exemptions.
Products and services will be introduced for 2 days at the forum, where African business people and manufacturers and exporters from Turkey entering the African market will participate.
EXPORTS INCREASED AND REACHED $21.3 BILLION
Deputy Minister of Trade Ozgur Volkan Agar said, “Our exports to the African continent increased approximately 12 times compared to 2002, reaching $21.3 billion in 2023. Our exports to 54 countries on the continent constitute 8.3% of our total exports.”
TIM Deputy Chairman Ahmet Gulec said, “The number of companies exporting to Africa in 2023 exceeded 25 thousand, meaning that almost 1 out of every 5 exporters exports to the region.”
MUSIAD Deputy Chairman Abdurrahman Uzun said, “Another issue we are working on is the idea of holding our traditional MUSIAD EXPO abroad for the first time. We have chosen Africa for this fair, which we will hold for the first time outside the borders of our country.”
Source: Patronlardunyasi / Prepared by Irem Yildiz